Google's Android Set to Extend Smartphone Lead in 2H

Shipments of smartphones running Google’s (GOOG) Android operating system will continue to dominate other platforms by an overwhelming margin according to a new report. Digitimes Research, the analyst arm of daily trade paper Digitimes, on Friday said that Android accounted for approximately 60% of all smartphones shipped in the first half of 2012. Despite the imminent launch of Apple’s (AAPL) sixth-generation iPhone next month — which could sell 50 million units this year according to recent estimates from Baird’s William Power — Digitimes Research analyst Luke Lin estimates that Android’s market share in the second half will balloon to 70% of the global market.

Lin believes Nokia (NOK) and Microsoft’s (MSFT) efforts finally paying off in the second half of 2012, and he says as many as 21 million Windows Phones will ship this year as a result. iPhone shipments are expected to reach 125 million units in the third and fourth quarters combined, and shipments of BlackBerry smartphones are seen declining by 41% this year. Symbian smartphone shipments will take the biggest hit according to Lin’s estimates, plummeting 66% year-over-year.